Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite

Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.” Fear is the most prevalent emotion in The Weight of Silence by Alex Baranda, but maybe it’s fear that keeps people alive. Set in 1943, it begins with an elite agent dropped into occupied France with a stripped identity and a singular purpose. Known only as "Jane Doe," she adopts the alias Marguerite Dubois, a war widow returning to her late husband’s family farm near Valençay. Alongside her radio operator, Pascal, she must establish a resistance network from the ashes of a compromised cell. She and Pascal have run two successful missions, but they’ve drawn the attention of Major Steiner, a methodical Gestapo officer hunting for unauthorized signals and "sensory ghosts." England sends another operative, Denise, to help accelerate their efforts. A third mission takes an unexpected turn. As communication lines falter and trusted contacts disappear, Jane must navigate her growing uncertainty. Will she and the others get caught?

I was drawn to The Weight of Silence by Alex Baranda because it takes place during WWII. I’ve always had an interest in that time period. I was completely hooked by the characters’ missions and couldn’t stop reading until I finished it. It’s well-written and easy to follow. I could feel the tension in every suspenseful moment. I really felt for Jane. She’s strong, but is still very human. She wanted the missions to be successful, but not at the cost of losing someone on the team. She really carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. The pacing worked well for me—it moved quickly, but there were still pauses that let things sink in. It’s the kind of book where you can picture everything without getting lost in the details. Overall, I found it to be a gripping and thoughtful read. Readers who enjoy historical fiction and wartime suspense will appreciate this engaging story.